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Marty Turco claims he’s fine with Blackhawks starting Corey Crawford vs. Stars on Wednesday

Chicago Blackawks v St. Louis Blues

ST. LOUIS - SEPTEMBER 30: Marty Turco #30 of the Chicago Blackhawks makes a save against the St. Louis Blues during a pre-season game at the Scottrade Center on September 30, 2010 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

Dilip Vishwanat

Every once in a while, sports fans and writers are confronted with one of those odd situations in which it’s hard to take an athlete’s comments at face value (but possibly because of your own beliefs and prejudices).

Chris Kuc writes that Marty Turco is fine with the Chicago Blackhawks starting red-hot “backup” Corey Crawford against the Dallas Stars instead of him, but can we be sure he’s not just preaching the company line? The question is obvious: is Turco just trying to be a good teammate or could it be that he simply doesn’t care like we do? Maybe Turco isn’t driven by the idea of beating an organization he played with for so many years.

It’s tough to believe that it doesn’t affect him at all, but the team’s logic is simple. Crawford won six games in a row while Turco lost his last three. Sometimes you have to go with the hot hand rather than play into the convenient media-approved storylines.

In case you want to read Turco’s comments and dissect their credibility yourself, here they are.

“We’re going to go with the winning formula,” Turco said after practice Tuesday at the United Center. “Corey’s playing and deserves to. There’s a reason why I came here, that’s to win. I have zero problems with it. If it was an Eastern Conference team and it was our only shot at them this year, I might puff up my chest, but it’s no big deal really. As long as we beat them.”

“I’d like to play them but I’m pretty sure I’ll get a shot at them this year,” added Turco, who signed a one-year, free-agent contract with the Hawks during the offseason.

“I didn’t come to Chicago to be a part of the Blackhawks organization to beat the Dallas Stars. I came here to win and be part of a winning formula. People have to respect that and I certainly do.”